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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23850682">Rude's Kid</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparklingDragonTears/pseuds/SparklingDragonTears'>SparklingDragonTears</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Partners [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Conversations, Corporal Punishment, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Mentor/Protégé, ShinRa Mafia, Training, Turks (Compilation of FFVII)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:01:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,246</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23850682</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SparklingDragonTears/pseuds/SparklingDragonTears</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Reno does some sneaking and learns what it means to be 'Rude's kid', and everything the man takes on his behalf.</p>
<p>*Set just before Ch. 2 of Red, leading up to Reno's sentencing.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Reno &amp; Rude (Compilation of FFVII), Reno/Rude (Compilation of FFVII)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Partners [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711810</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Association</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Don't know how many Red extras I'll make, but I'm on a roll with snippets for the Partners series, so here's another. I actually have two more after this, but I wanted them chronological and AO3 wasn't playing nice with moving parts around. </p>
<p>Basically just Reno finding out that Rude is punished for his shit. Unfortunately, he breaks pretty much the only important rule to do so, thus leading to his sentencing (the result of which is Ch. 2 of Red, 'Fury'.)</p>
<p>CP in this one. Miko's not a bad guy, just a little old school with discipline.<br/>--</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>Rude’s kid.</i>
</p>
<p>Everywhere he went, he heard it. It pissed him off. He didn’t belong to anyone, especially the stone wall of man who occasionally showed up to tell him what he was doing wrong. He rarely took heed of the man’s warnings, not particularly caring for the regulations around here. He was the best of all the trainees anyway, and it was obvious that it earned him some leniency. The only place he struggled was physical strength, and as long as he was improving, they couldn’t do much except hound him, which meant next to nothing to a gang kid.</p>
<p>He resentfully admitted (only to himself) that whatever materia/medicine concoction they forced trainees to take daily really was making him feel better. He felt stronger every day, felt like his mind had stopped reeling quite as wildly. After the first week, he moved past injections, onto little green pills. He noted that Rude often hung around in doorways in the mornings, watching to make sure Reno swallowed them. Sometimes he would give a nod before leaving, other times he would just disappear.</p>
<p>Rude never said much to him. He rarely even saw the man. Reno noted that the other trainees’ mentors spent at least an hour or two a day with them, dragging them away from the classes and training officers who barked commands like they were show dogs. The mentors shoved papers at them or worked hand-to-hand combat until the mentees collapsed to the ground. </p>
<p>He’d watched with a growing dread that one particular mentor tended to reach out and cuff his mentee whenever he did something wrong. The kid, Kira, was younger than him even, and had a permanent bruise along the side of his jaw. There was only one other close to his age, Seth, but had to be at least 20. Reno had noticed the sick way Seth moved when he came into classes Monday mornings, stiff and pale and way too fucking skittish of people close to him. Reno was afraid to consider what had brought that on.</p>
<p>Of course, with Reno being left to his own devices, he had nothing but time and boundless energy. He met all of his challenges, learned all of the bullshit history, military jargon and tactics games with ease. He was quick-witted and quicker with his hands. His street fighting had almost immediately earned him a reputation as a scrapper, often beating out SOLDIERs or officers in training with his admittedly sloppy, but effective technique. One of these days he was bound to meet someone who would kick his ass, but it seemed that the best fighters were working in the field, not hanging out to train kids. He supposed that was the reason for mentors, not that he’d know from Rude.</p>
<p>Reno also tended to skirt the edges of trouble with every word out of his mouth. Everyone in the program either loved him or hated him. And just like his life on the streets, even the ones who hated him regarded him with respect because he was <i>fucking good</i> at what he did. Respect always came easy around him, and he milked it for everything he had, a hard habit to break. He had his teammates eating out of the palm of his hand after only a couple weeks, doing favors for him, gathering gossip, occasionally taking the fall for him. He figured by the next week, he could have at least one of them bringing him contraband.</p>
<p>But what still bothered him, was that <i>everyone</i> he met referred to him as <i>Rude’s kid</i>. He should have been making a name for himself. He craved the attention he got from the superiors and peers and anyone who actually watched him practice. He even basked in the annoyance and irritation from the ones he deliberately pissed off. But any time they learned who he was (not that it was probably very difficult with red fucking tattoos on his face), they would always throw up that label and be done with him.</p>
<p>The problem came from the fact that ‘Rude’s kid’ came with two distinct groups of people. He wasn’t an idiot, he could tell right away that Rude was someone to be feared, not just because he was massive and strong, but because his presence itself held the air of experience. He was not a person to be on their bad side. So when people associated Reno with Rude, they either did so with an awe, something shocked and impressed, or with spite, bitter and filled with sympathy, and oddly enough, <i>pity</i>.</p>
<p>Reno didn’t fucking understand any of it. He barely saw the man, let alone trained with him. Anyone who wanted to know Rude’s advice, he couldn’t even taunt them with it, since he hardly had any himself. Anyone who looked at him like he was in danger, he couldn’t help the crawling feeling under his skin, like something was going to happen.</p>
<p>He had to get to the bottom of it, before the anxiety killed him.</p>
<p>— </p>
<p>Reno caught the SOLDIER’s eye in the cafeteria at lunch. He knew that look. The SOLDIER was one of <i>those</i> guys, the kind who ached to put slum kids like him in their place. Reno prodded at his fellow trainees until someone spilled that the guy worked security on Thursdays. It was Wednesday, giving him the perfect window of opportunity. On his way out of lunch, he shoulder bumped the guy, who turned at him with a furious look, and shoved a paper into his hand.</p>
<p>
  <i>I need something from you</i>
  <br/>
  <i>You need something from me</i>
  <br/>
  <i>Tonight, 2330</i>
  <br/>
  <i>Third floor training bathroom</i>
</p>
<p>He kept walking, ignoring the sputtering SOLDIER and his friends, peeking back in the door after a moment to see the heat on the man’s face as he shoved the paper under his trash and went to throw out the remainder of his lunch.</p>
<p>Reno smirked, he knew he’d see the guy tonight.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Tied</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The morning after from Reno's meeting with the SOLDIER. <br/>Rude somehow finds out, and he is not happy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fraternizing during training was strictly forbidden for Turks. Reno had seen someone kicked out the first week, while it was common knowledge the SOLDIER grunts fucked like rabbits. It was hardly fair. </p>
<p>Reno knew he was on a hair’s edge, already pushing every damn limit they gave him, never <i>quite</i> breaking the rules, but bending them backwards until they twisted. This time though, he knew he wouldn’t be able to talk his way around it; he wore the proof on his skin. But even as he pulled on his trainee suit, tucking it in, putting on the stupid tie, he still left the top buttons undone, left the tie loose at his collar bone. He’d read the guidelines, he knew every word of every rule, and every loophole left behind. As long as he wore the thing, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t get more than a warning about it.</p>
<p>He looked in the mirror, tipping his head to look over the deep purple mark where his neck met his shoulder. He considered buttoning up his shirt today, but that might set a precedent he wasn’t ready to follow. Some day it would catch up to him, and if it was today, because of some awful, rushed fuck with a bulky SOLDIER the night before, it would be worth it for the promise of information he would have by the night’s end. </p>
<p>He was sure the asshole had marked him on purpose.</p>
<p>In the end, he decided it wasn’t <i>obvious</i>, as long as someone wasn’t looking for it. He tucked the tie a little tighter, ignoring the strangled feeling, hoping it would keep his collar from shifting too badly.</p>
<p>All was well in the cafeteria at breakfast. He got his stupid little green pill and swallowed it down dry before going to pick up a tray of whatever egg and meat mixture being served today. He was crossing to his typical table with Kira, joking about how the kid’s jaw would be tough as a brick by the time he was done with training. Suddenly, a quiet shifted through the cafeteria. Kira’s eyes went wide and he took a step back. Reno spun around, hearing a few sharp inhales around him. </p>
<p>He couldn’t be sure whether the room had really gone silent, or whether his heartbeat was drowning out the world. </p>
<p>Rude stalked across the room, fists at his sides, glare obvious even under those dark glasses. His sights were set on Reno alone, coming straight up into his space. One heavy hand shot out to hold Reno’s free arm down at his side in an iron grip, the other came up and grabbed him by the chin. The rough hold tipped his head to the side, and Reno barely kept his knees from bucking. Rude bodily turned him to expose the bite on his neck.</p>
<p>“<i>Damnit Reno,</i>” He growled, something dark and terrifying and fucking <i>world-shifting</i>. Reno flinched at the snarl on his name. He cursed himself for his sudden, primal desire to fall to his knees before the man. “Do you ever fucking <i>think</i> before you act?”</p>
<p>Reno barely resisted whimpering pathetically, biting his tongue to keep from protesting that he had done it for Rude.</p>
<p>Rude dropped his chin and tugged on his tie, hard enough to jar him and focus his attention. </p>
<p>“Button your fucking shirt.” He growled with another tug, dropping his entire hold, leaving Reno in a strange free-fall from the heat lingering on his skin. Rude spun on his heel and stormed from the cafeteria without looking at a single other person.</p>
<p>Reno stood frozen for a moment, dumbfounded, before Kira’s timid hands nudged him toward their table in the corner, away from the flood of chatter that suddenly washed over them.</p>
<p>“Dead man walking,” Tom muttered as Reno collapsed into a seat faced away from everyone who was suddenly staring at him.</p>
<p>“You’ve done it this time,” Al added under her breath, quite unhelpfully. </p>
<p>Reno turned a glare at them, recovering his senses. Street rules had to apply at times like these. <i>Never let ‘em see you sweat.</i> He scowled and huffed through his nose, buttoning up the two buttons on his shirt slowly, taking his time like it had been his decision to do so. He finally pulled his tie tight, feeling somehow like he deserved the choking feeling around his neck.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Stripes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Reno gets access to the security footage he'd broken the rules for.<br/>He learns exactly what happens when he fucks up.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>CP in this chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <i>Delete it after you watch it. You get caught, I’m selling you out.</i>
</p>
<p>Reno rolled his eyes. Like hell he was deleting this video. He’d grown up basically by knifepoint. A threat from a SOLDIER was hardly news to him. </p>
<p>
  <i>Yes, sir</i>
</p>
<p>He was almost disappointed, knowing that the man wouldn’t understand his sarcasm via text. Probably not at all, if he were honest. But, Reno knew he was a good lay and the guy delivered as promised. A frozen video popped up, security footage ready to be played.</p>
<p>He closed himself in his meager training apartment’s dorm of a bedroom, tucked up under his blankets in a private little cocoon. He turned the volume on his new ShinRa PHS device down to nearly silent, having a feeling whatever he was about to see wasn’t meant for a single other person.</p>
<p>“<i>You’re too damn high in rank to let this shit continue, Rude.</i>” Came the tinny voice from the superior Reno recognized as Miko, Rude’s partner. “<i>Desk.</i>”</p>
<p>Reno watched in dawning horror as Rude, the giant wall of a man, with lead fists and perfect posture, draped himself over a large desk, clad in only tight undergarments and socks. His sunglasses were gone, exposing the every emotion crossing his face. His muscles were tight, legs already streaked with purple marks in the process of healing, looking extra wicked on his already darker skin. The man gave no reply to Miko’s words, but grit his teeth and settled into place. Miko strode beside him and cracked a long, thin cane over the back of his thighs without preamble. Rude’s body jerked in surprise. Reno couldn’t see his face from the angle, but was okay without robbing his mentor that shred of privacy.</p>
<p>“<i>Just beat the shit out of the kid, he’ll learn the same way you did.</i>” </p>
<p>With a sudden icy plunge through Reno’s body, the words sank in. They were talking about <i>him</i>.</p>
<p>“<i>You never even told him, did you?</i>”</p>
<p>It took only a couple strikes before Reno realized the greying man was distracting Rude, talking to him as he swung the wood methodically and rhythmically up the back of his legs, pausing with the silence between his words. Rude made tiny grunting sounds with each hit.</p>
<p>“<i>He should be terrified to know you’re taking stripes for his shit.</i>”</p>
<p>A pause, and then one hit which seemed louder and faster, <i>scolding</i>.</p>
<p>“<i>He’s the only damn one in this building who isn’t afraid of you.</i>”</p>
<p>“<i>Fear doesn’t make good agents.</i>” Rude insisted through his teeth, something that sounded like an old argument.</p>
<p>“<i>Did for all of us,</i>” Miko pointed out, pausing to prod the tip of the cane into what looked to be a long, discolored scar across Rude’s back, deep enough that Reno could see it on his tiny screen through whatever security feed had captured this. </p>
<p>Rude grunted again in reply. Reno watched the man’s arms come to rest under his bald head as he hid his face from his partner’s view.</p>
<p>“<i>You know, you’re the only one who doesn’t…</i>” Miko struck him again to make his point, the warning in his voice making Reno shiver.</p>
<p>“<i>You could be too,</i>” Rude snapped back, muffled through his arms. This earned the man a quick crack across his ass, the thin cloth probably doing nothing to shield him. Rude groaned lowly.</p>
<p>“<i>If not me, Tseng.</i>” Miko scolded, like Rude was well aware of this fact. “<i>You’re too fucking smart to make emotional arguments.</i>”</p>
<p>Another strike in silence, and Reno felt himself breaking out in a sweat.</p>
<p>“<i>Why’re you fighting for this gutter punk?</i>” Miko asked, pausing and resting the rod against the small of Rude’s back. </p>
<p>Reno noted the man was breathing harder than Rude.</p>
<p>He held his breath to hear Rude’s response, but it was muttered and muffled. He had to turn the volume almost fully up and replay it three times to make out most of the words.</p>
<p>“<i>He’ll learn his way and he’ll be better than all of us.</i>” Rude had answered, further crushing Reno with doubt and self-loathing at the conviction in the garbled answer. Miko chuckled beside him and nodded slowly, as though he were considering this.</p>
<p>The older man picked up the cane again and cut through the air without warning, landing just above the back of Rude’s knees, making his legs give a little. He sucked in sharply, a hiss audible through even the terrible security cam.</p>
<p>“<i>He won’t be kicked out.</i>” Miko finally said, rubbing a hand down his partner's back as Rude visibly relaxed with a shaking breath. “<i>But, he has a hearing tomorrow night. Prepare him.</i>” </p>
<p>The instruction came with a final hit, hard and loud and enough to draw a sob from Reno’s mentor. Miko left the camera’s range, presumably to put the cane away. Rude lay over the desk, breathing hard into his arms, legs threatening to fall from under him.</p>
<p>“<i>Up,</i>” Although an order, Miko spoke gently, coming back into frame, piling Rude’s clothing beside him, sunglasses perched neatly on top. “<i>They’re watching me like a hawk. Can’t get a healing spell, but I’ll get you a potion for tomorrow.</i>” He added, a gentle promise with a danger behind it.</p>
<p>Miko ran his hand down Rude’s back again and the man pushed himself up, wiping his face from the tears he had hidden. Reno stopped the video, feeling that he couldn’t invade anymore, that he didn’t deserve to see this.</p>
<p>Something savage twisted in his guts, stringing up every bit of the guilt he’d repressed over the years for every little thing in his life, slamming it to the forefront of his mind, amplified by his actions of the past few weeks in one big <i>fuck you</i>. It made his head spin and his stomach threaten to expel everything he'd eaten today.</p>
<p>Stuck in this place, of course he’d known the other mentors were physical, he’d seen the bruises and winces, hell, he’d seen the black eyes. He knew if anyone, it was him who should've been punished again and again.</p>
<p>But <i>why?</i> Why the hell would Rude take abuse for his sake? Maybe had he known the big guy was watching out for him, he wouldn’t have been quite as blasé during their scarce interactions. Reno didn’t have the energy to figure it out right now. He had to process this new information. </p>
<p>He felt like he needed this video, for his own sanity, for a reminder. He wasn’t sure whether he was punishing or motivating himself, but had a sick feeling he knew the answer to that. He saved the video into a passkey folder with an obscure number he made up right then, hiding it three folders deep in his phone, under the name <i>Stripes</i>.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Decision</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The next day, Rude finds Reno and tells him he has a decision to make.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Rude hadn’t come to the door Friday morning to watch him. Reno felt a nervous darkness crawling around his stomach. He went about his day, shutting down any and all comments about him or his mentor. Most seemed to imply he was going to have a hell of a weekend at the business end of Rude’s fists.</p>
<p>By the time lunch came around, he still hadn’t heard a word from the man. He'd figured whatever ‘hearing’ he was supposed to hear about would have at least been scheduled by the weekend. He supposed that gave him a couple more hours to stew on his nerves.</p>
<p>Just when he was headed back to the third floor showers, his hand-to-hand practice <i>finally</i> over (fuck Friday testing, seriously), a heavy hand landed on his shoulder. He only resisted turning around to slug them because he recognized the touch already from the few times he’d felt it.</p>
<p>“Reno,” came the deep voice behind him, keeping him from leaving the practice ring. His fellow trainees had gotten the hell out of there without turning to look back. No one was quite sure what Rude was capable of.</p>
<p>Reno was <i>pretty</i> sure he wasn’t about to be knocked unconscious. </p>
<p>He spun slowly, taking in the man in the impeccable suit before him. Man, he understood now why they had such a hard-on for the uniform. Stood before him stock still, sharp lines and muscle directed at him, it was the most terrifying thing he had ever seen. (Even though he suspected anyone else staring him down wouldn’t have quite the same effect.)</p>
<p>“Come with me.” He ordered, leading Reno to the balcony that surrounded the third floor, looking over the streets. He didn’t look back, but held the door an extra few seconds for Reno to catch it.</p>
<p>When they closed the building off behind them, Reno realized how loud it was outside. The wind whipped around the tower, heated and charged from a day in the sun. The ‘third floor’ wasn’t exactly an accurate label. They were on the third floor of the training section, an area reserved for Turks only. The Training section however, was a good 20 floors up from the Plate. </p>
<p>“Do you want to be here?” Rude asked him, leaning on a railing and staring at the rooftops shining below them. </p>
<p>Reno was a little surprised, but came to rest against the rail a few feet away.</p>
<p>“Of course, yo-sssirrr.” He answered immediately, cringing a little at the easy slip of tongue and insincere correction, watching Rude already shaking his head.</p>
<p>“I’m not asking as your superior.” He answered lightly, still staring at nothing. </p>
<p>Reno turned and watched the city for a moment, honestly considering the question. Did he want to be ShinRa? Did he want to get paid to be a part of this strange, all-powerful corporation that decided the fate of every person in every tiny building as far as he could see? Or did he want to go back to his slum life, where everyone knew his name and followed his every whim? He had it pretty good either way. Granted, the ShinRa way at least paid him. </p>
<p>“I could get you a transfer,” Rude offered so quietly that Reno could barely hear him over the wind. Rude glanced his way for only a second.</p>
<p>Frowning, Reno shook his head to himself. He didn’t want a transfer. He wasn’t cut out to be a SOLDIER, he might shove someone’s head through a window if he had to be in an office all day, and he sure as hell didn’t have the patience to work in the labs. Of course he wanted to be a Turk, everyone did. The Turks were the best of the best, the last call when all else failed, the left hand when something had to be done dirty. </p>
<p>Was it sick that he wanted to do the dirty work? That he <i>knew</i> he would be good at it?</p>
<p>Looking over his mentor, cool, collected, and terrifyingly calm, all of Reno's self-doubt threatened to turn him inside out, clawing from his stomach. He turned away, sensing another question looming. Rude hummed a little at his non-response.</p>
<p>“You should know I don’t mentor.” Rude said off-handedly. </p>
<p>This made Reno scowl, but he didn’t know what to say to the comment. He didn’t even have the heart to ask <i>Why me?</i> after everything he’d seen last night. He settled for nodding uncertainly.</p>
<p>“Nobody has ever pissed me off quite like you, Red.” Rude muttered by way of explanation. </p>
<p>Reno heard the compliment buried there.</p>
<p>“How long ya been a Turk?” Reno asked, curiosity getting the better of him. </p>
<p>Rude appraised him for a moment and Reno started the get the feeling he’d overstepped the bounds of their conversation. He was about to, well, not <i>apologize</i>, but take it back, when Rude answered slowly.</p>
<p>“Nine years.” He watched Reno for reaction. Reno felt his eyebrows shoot up. Although Rude was older than him, he didn’t think it was by too much. Nine years must have put him as a teenager himself when he started.</p>
<p>“What’s the usual?” He asked, a question that made Rude’s lips twitch upward.</p>
<p>“Depends.” He answered, familiarly unhelpful as the first time Reno had asked. He waited a beat and Reno realized he was <i>teasing</i> him. </p>
<p>“About half pass training with the skills, the rest are moved on to other positions.” Rude became serious again, a subtle, but distinct difference that Reno suspected most people didn’t identify. “A third quit after the first kill. Half of the rest last three years, max. Burnout in this job is high.”</p>
<p>Rude hesitated, looking over the redhead. He seemed to deliberate his final answer.</p>
<p>“Lot of people transfer at 36 years old, semi-retirement.” He answered off-handedly, like it was an option he had to offer. “But, once you make it, you’re in for life.”</p>
<p>Reno’s takeaway from this was to wonder how often they actually killed people.</p>
<p>He supposed that made him either very good for this job, or very, very bad.</p>
<p>“You fucked up.” Rude redirected after a moment, sliding his sunglasses to the top of his head, looking at Reno with those too-serious eyes he might get lost in. It only proved to make him feel worse. “You should know, you’re in deep shit.”</p>
<p>He paused a moment, looking over Reno with an uncertainty that unnerved the redhead. Reno crossed his arms around his middle self-consciously and leaned against the cold metal railing.</p>
<p>“They’ve never been as lenient on anyone as they are with you.” It went unsaid that it was because of Rude. “Tonight they’re going to take you to a hearing. You’ll have two options; You can leave or you can take your consequences.”</p>
<p>Reno swallowed. He had a feeling he knew what kind of consequences Turks suffered. He’d seen Rude’s scar, his bruises, the thrashing he’d taken for Reno’s benefit, never mind anything he might have done wrong himself.</p>
<p>“Think about it,” Rude watched Reno carefully, seeming to catalogue his every twitch. “Go to your room and think about it until they call for you. Don’t eat anything, you’ll probably puke it up. Think about what you want for the rest of your life.”</p>
<p>“The rest-?” Reno echoed without thinking. </p>
<p>“Once you make it, you’re in for life.” Rude reiterated pointedly.</p>
<p>Reno was overwhelmed. Not only was Rude helping him, he <i>believed</i> in him. No one had ever believed in him. </p>
<p>He was pretty sure he was going to fail spectacularly and drag the man down with him.</p>
<p>“One last thing,” Rude continued after a moment, slipping his shades back down and turning to look at the sky. “Don’t argue your case. Whatever you did, whatever your reasons, they don’t mean shit. Take whatever they give you and for once in your life, don’t fight it.” With one more sideways glance, he added, “<i>Earn</i> their respect.”</p>
<p>Rude turned to leave, clapping a hand on Reno’s shoulder for the briefest moment, before leaving him to his thoughts.</p>
<p>It was only after Reno was alone that he realized Rude had read the decision on his face before he even knew he’d made it.</p>
<p>He <i>was</i> going to make it as a Turk. He was going to be better than all of them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks to everyone. I'm enjoying this little background life I've made up for them. Glad you are too. &lt;3</p>
<p>Till next time,<br/>-J X</p></blockquote></div></div>
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